


You Could've Done More

by orphan_account



Series: Oldies [2]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, OT5 Friendship, Smoking, Zayn and Harry are both in love with Louis, but lbr who isn't, mentions of Liam x Gemma, mentions of Niall x Eleanor, past Harry x Louis, past emotional cheating I guess would be the term?, short and bittersweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-11
Updated: 2019-01-11
Packaged: 2019-10-08 02:23:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17377796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Harry's not ready to forgive Zayn for all the times he's stolen his favorite toys... among other things.





	You Could've Done More

**Author's Note:**

> (Disclaimer: Fiction. Never happened. Sadly probably never gonna happen. Title from "Naive" by The Kooks.)

Harry Styles loosens his tie as he makes his way into the back garden of the reception hall, a half-empty pack of cigarettes clutched tightly in one hand. Strolling over to the farthest marble bench he can find, he feels around his coat for a lighter, sighing irritably when he realizes that he left his in the hotel room this morning. Clicking his tongue in annoyance, he tosses his smokes to the empty spot next to him and moves to take his phone out, aiming to shoot a text out to his friend, Niall Horan. Knowing him, he probably has a Zippo somewhere in his person.  
  
Sliding the lock on his mobile, Harry scrolls through his contacts and makes it all the way to 'Eleanor Horan' before he hears steady footsteps coming towards him. Curiously, he lifts his gaze – a large smile already in place, in case it's one of the many wedding guests his sister, Gemma, and his best friend, Liam Payne, invited to their wedding – and immediately wishes he hadn't.  
  
“Need a light, man?”  
  
Of course. Of all the people in the party, he just has to run into  _Zayn Malik_. Harry's pretty sure he's never had worse luck than now. And that's counting the time his mother walked in on him touching himself when he was fourteen. Yup, no. This. This is definitely worse.  
  
He sits there for what feels like ages, staring up at Zayn as he offers his lighter. He thinks maybe he can escape this. Maybe he can come up with some shit excuse or maybe he can just run. He was on the track team in high school. Maybe he could put that experience to good use. He's weighing his options when he hears someone clear their throat, and is instantly brought back to the present.  
  
“Well?”  
  
And Harry's torn, is the thing. Part of him thinks this should be okay. It's just a lighter. No big deal, right? But then it's  _Zayn_  that's offering him the lighter and that's just. Like, fuck no. Accepting any form of help from him is like admitting defeat in Harry's eyes and he's not ready for that. He's not ready to forgive Zayn for all the times he's stolen Harry's favorite toys... among other things.  
  
Harry decides to be mature about it, though.  
  
“Uh,” he starts, putting a cigarette between his lips, “thanks.”  
  
Zayn moves to sit at the spot next to Harry as the taller one takes his first puff. It's unnerving. The silence between them is thick and heavy and Harry just wishes Zayn would leave so he could smoke in peace. But of course, he's not going to be a grade A asshole and tell him to go.  
  
“So,” Zayn says, voice deep but slightly shaky to Harry's ears. “How've you been? Haven't been seeing you around lately.”  
  
Harry scoffs because, well, why not? Zayn doesn't deserve his kindness.  
  
“Louis misses you, you know.”  
  
And ah, there it is. The elephant in the room. _Louis. Tomlinson._  
  
Could things get any more awkward?  
  
“He's sorry, Harry. We both are. ” Zayn runs a hand through his hair, a nervous habit Harry is more than familiar with. “But you have to know that he never cheated. We... Louis, he... He waited, yeah? We didn't like, get together behind your back, dude. I... need you to know that I guess.”  
  
“It doesn't really make much of a difference,” Harry finally answers, his elbows resting on his knees as he looks anywhere but at Zayn. “He still left me for you and it's still not fucking okay. I'm not sure it will ever be, 'right?”  
  
Honestly, Harry's always known. Louis's heart has always belonged to Zayn and he was foolish to think otherwise. He thinks about it sometimes. When he's alone and feeling sulky, he goes back to all those years he spent in the company of Zayn and Louis. How, even as small children playing in the park, Louis's always gravitated towards Zayn and looked at him as if he hung the stars and the moon in the night sky.  
  
It's a painful but beautiful thought.  
  
Harry sighs heavily.  
  
“Just,” he sounds defeated, even he admits that, “keep making him happy, Malik, okay?”  
  
Harry knows he will.

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't realize how dramatic my stuff was.


End file.
